Midnight (NHB Modern Plays) - Softcover

Jacqueline Wilson; Vicky Ireland

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1854599097 ISBN 13: 9781854599094

Publisher: Nick Hern Books, 2006

Synopsis

12 year old Violet has plenty to wish for. She wishes Will, her loving but controlling older brother, would be kinder to her. She wishes beautiful, charismatic Jasmine would be her friend forever. Most of all, she wishes she could meet her favourite author, Casper Dream. Surely Casper Dream, who creates such magical fairy stories, could conjure up a solution to all her problems?

About this title

Review

Jacqueline Wilson's magical talent for writing novels for children of all ages that can brighten, sadden and enlighten all at the same time is legendary. Midnight is a shining example of that gift and is an unforgettable story about friendship, adoration and sibling worship. Wilson's subjects are always close at heart, her characters lovably flawed, but her endings are reassuringly uplifting.

It is the arrival of the intoxicatingly popular Jasmine, the daughter of a famous actor, at Violet's school that has impacted most on her life of late. Forever in the spell of her controlling and mesmerising older brother Will, Violet needs something to change for her. Will has discovered a shocking secret about his past that is making his behaviour even more strange and dangerous. His dreaded games of Truth or Dare often leave Violet's nerves in tatters. Will is distant, but Jasmine seems genuinely interested in her and her love of fairies. They even both like Casper Dream--the author of several popular fairy novels.

But Violet can't keep Jasmine away from her house forever and when Will and Jasmine get together and apparently exclude Violet--she can think of only one person who can help her... so she sets off by herself to find her favourite author.

Wilson's characters are no doubt agonisingly created, but seem effortlessly real and engaging--no wonder they've been adored by over 10-million readers since she first began writing for taunted teens and younger readers. Midnight is perhaps a slightly more subtle novel than is usual, tackling lots of different, overlapping themes at once and even touching on her own life--as demonstrated by the influence of the writer in the story, Casper Dream. This is another winning read. (Recommended for ages 10 and over.) --John McLay

Review

When Jacqueline Wilson wrote Midnight and some of her other modern classics that have now been adapted for the stage, she could surely never have imagined that between adapter Vicky Ireland and Watershed Productions, her novels would come to life in such a special way. Targeted at young teen audiences, the creative skill with which they have interpreted Wilson's hugely successful stories gives this next generation of theatregoers high standards against which to compare future theatre visits... an amazing production. --The Stage

Balances the magical world of the imagination with the harsher realities of growing up in modern Britain... Never shies away from the dark and the difficult. --The Times

Vicky has adapted a handful of my books for the stage. I hope she works her magic on many more to come! --Jacqueline Wilson

About this edition

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1854599097
• ISBN 13: 9781854599094
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 96